It was over two years ago that we first discovered Ted Draws through his brilliant, monthly, NTS Radio show, so when we got the chance to sit down with the man himself we jumped at the opportunity to discuss his passion for hip-hop and design. We were also blessed with a brilliant, spanning an hour and 30 minutes worth of old-school hip hop. So if you haven’t already, check it out!
Thanks for talking to us Ted, can you tell us a little bit about yourself and where you grew up?
I’m an Artist/Graphic Designer and DJ. I live in Hackney, I moved here from my Mum’s house in the Colchester area about 20 years ago. I like watching films about corrupt cops and the Mafia, drinking continental beer and eating non-english food with friends, and I support Arsenal.
Your NTS radio show is such a great source of hip hop covering different areas (west coast, east coast, southern specials), eras (2000’s special) and themes (OST special). Your passion for hip-hop is evident, can you tell us a bit about how you got into music and specifically your passion for hip-hop?
It’s always been Hip Hop for me, my first record was a 7 inch of Salt N Pepa ‘Push It’ which I won at a primary school disco (dance contest). As a little kid I used to love pop crossover stuff like MC Hammer, and Snap (lol), but early De La Soul/ A Tribe Called Quest led me properly into the real stuff. I would study the liner notes of their albums for other artists getting shout outs, and then search for their cassettes in record shops back when it was all in the ‘Soul & Dance’ section. My favourite style is mid 90’s New York, as that’s the era where I was a teenager and obsessed with all of it, buying Hip Hop Connection and The Source magazine, listening to the radio and borrowing VHS’s of YoMTV raps that my friends who had Sky TV would record. If a Hip Hop artist appeared on a terrestrial TV show like ‘The Word’ or ‘Dance Energy’ it was a really big deal. ‘The Word’ actually put me on to ‘The Pharcyde’. The whole culture was big for me too, not just the music, I was a very low level graffiti writer til I realised how much effort it took to do it properly. My Dad lived in Islington, so I would spend weekends going to all the record shops like Mr Bongos and the old Deal Real, and go to Nights like Lyrical Lounge, Mudlumz, and Scratch, and loads more I can’t remember. The late 90s comeback of Break Dancing at Hip Hop clubs used to annoy me though, coz I wanted to hear new music, not the early 80s old school stuff, but those were the Hip Hop nights girls would actually go to.
How did you get into DJing, and in particular radio?
In my teens, I had older friends who had Technics decks, so I would go round with the few vinyl I had, and try and mix tunes with them, and sometimes mix Drum & Bass (as that was the big thing at the time), which really helped me learn quickly. Then later on there would be house parties, where we would bring the decks, and i’d have a slot, so i’d try and get a few more party tunes, maybe some RnB or even UKG, and then Grime and all the rest. Eventually I ended up forming a DJ duo in the mid 00’s with another guy called Ted, and we’d play nights aimed at Art School students (girls), where we’d play everything from Prince and Talking Heads to new Electro, but we’d always have some classic era Hip Hop. Over the years, I’ve naturally come all the way back to just Hip Hop as that’s what was always in my head, but all the older stuff that I want to hear, not the new tunes, unless it gives me that same feeling. My friend Steve asked me to do a show on ‘Know Wave’ radio with him, which was great, to not have to make people dance and just play what you felt. I was friends with everyone at NTS radio, so it made sense when they told me I should do a show. So that’s how it’s been, it’s all about who I get wasted with. I think that’s how people get real jobs in media too.
I love your show for the amount of great music I am able to discover, often with artists that I already know and love. But then you’ll drop a random B-side that I didn’t know existed haha. What methods do you use for digging for new music?
It really depends on the show. I always go for a theme, just to keep my brain in check. For the Southern Hip Hop shows, I literally have to research 70% of it as I was never fully into that sound, apart from Dungeon Family, so i’ll have to download loads of stuff and listen to hours of music, but I still have an idea where to go from vague memory. For most shows though, which are usually based around a year, they’re so ingrained in my mind anyway, as that was what I actually studied instead of any subject at school. I just need to listen to a few tunes from one year, and then my head is back there, and I can look up who else comes to mind. Then when I know who i’m dealing with, I can look on discogs or youtube to try and find some B-sides or unreleased songs, just to entertain myself. I’ve never been big on the hits, so have always seeked out album tracks or b-sides just to hear something different. Hip Hop at it’s best, isn’t about being catchy to me, it more about off key or grimey production, and hard vocals, that hit a nerve, or vibrate with the music.
Your producer specials that include the likes of Madlib, DJ Premier ,The Alchemist were sick. What other producers are up there for you, and can we expect a special on them in the future?
Well, NTS basically do a J Dilla special every month, so I’m holding off on that one (even though I feel like I invented him), but there are a few guys I’m collecting plenty of tunes from. 9th Wonder is coming for sure, maybe Marley Marl. Dre’s songs are all too well known, I love Beatminerz, might branch out to a bootcamp click show. Kanye will have to happen, just not the fashion era, or maybe a mix with the other chipmunk soul sample guys like Just Blaze… I dunno, I have no idea what I’m doing for the next show every month, and end up picking a year from the mid 90’s at the last minute.
Who are your favourite 5 rappers of all-time?
Good obvious question, i’m gonna have to take a few minutes;
Pharoahe Monch
KRS One
Nas
Posdnuos (De La Soul)
maybe Busta Rhymes, or Black Thought…
No, it’s Biggie Smalls
And, who are your favourite rappers out there releasing music today?
Benny The Butcher and all Griselda records
38 Spesh is my favourite rapper right now
Black Thought is probably the best rapper in the world ever
Elzhi
Pusha T
Do you listen to much UK rap, whether that be Grime, Drill, Hip-Hop? And are there any London parties/crews you want to shoutout?
I love Grime, I was one of those UK Hip Hop guys in the late 90’s, but when Grime came out, it was what we’d all been waiting for, the real sound of London. Nowadays, i’m a bit off the radar but I love the way UK music is doing it’s own thing and lyrics are at the fore front personally, I listen to:
J Hus, he’s on another level overall
Avelino, underrated lyricist
Casisdead
Dave, but he’s got to lose the emo piano music
Beat Butcher is from south London, he’s been producing hard music for years, and is part of the Griselda movement now
Drill, I like the energy, but I’m not listening to it yet, I might be too old. Parties? I miss parties, shout-out to every party in London.
Your art designs and t-shirts are sick – very distinctive, unique, and featuring some great artists. How did you get into making clothing and prints?
My parents were both starving artists, so I’ve tried to avoid it, but I’m uneducated, and that’s my natural skill. I used to hand draw t-shirts for people, I think it started with me wanting a Prince t-shirt, so I drew one with fabric pens. Somebody clever said I should release printed ones as everybody wanted one, so that’s what I did. Again it’s being out and about and reacting to what is happening, no big plan.
Can we expect another drop soon?
I lost my studio, so there’s been a hiatus, but I’m moving to a bigger space, so expect new guys very soon if not it’ll already be out by the time this is published
How has your year been affected by COVID and what plans do you have for the remainder of 2020?
Design wise, it knocked me back, but i’ve slowly come round to doing things to combat the situation and not let it get me down or hold me back from doing things. Talk to your friends, especially females, they can really help with suggestions and ideas. I live to go out and see people, so it’s been really shit, but I’m working on it, I hate planning things like going for a drink, but I can’t just sit at home and listen to Hip Hop all night (as I have been).
Interview By: James Acquaye Nortey-Glover